View from top of Courchevel

Courchevel Ski Resort Review

Despite one fleeting visit during the late 1990’s, the famous ski resort of Courchevel had seemed to pass me by. In fact, so had the entire 3 Valleys until December 2016 when I found myself in the world’s largest skiing area twice in a 7 day period.

The previous week I’d been in Val Thorens, Europe’s highest resort and one of the first major ski areas to open in the winter. We’d had a decent fall of snow and conditions were good – in fact they weren’t to be seen that good again until the second week of January 2016 after a long spell of high pressure dominated the weather pattern across the whole Alpine region.

Courchevel might be proud of being part of this huge pleasure park of snowsports, but it’s an entirely different proposition in terms of feel, look and visitor demographic. Courchevel was the first ever truly purpose built ski resort in the Alps with its first ski lift put in place during 1945 after a long delay because of the second world war. By 1946 big plans were in place to develop the area and turn it into a mass tourist destination and they never looked back.

There are now four satellite villages all linked by their skiing and lift infrastructure – starting at the top with Courchevel (1850 – now known simply as Courchevel). This is where the big money resides – large chalets straddle the gentle green runs that meander through a huge bowl that offers beginners and children a nursery area probably unrivalled in the French Alps. Yes, it certainly caters for the glitzy set and its reputation for Russian visitors has given it the tag of the Oligarchs favourite ski destination. But actually Russians are a tiny minority of foreign visitors and they concentrate around the period during the first two weeks of January. Personally the Russians I’ve met and know seem like very nice people, but if you want to avoid them then perhaps stay away from these dates. Still, if you’re after 5 star hotels and Michelin Starred restaurants (there are five such establishments up here) then Courchevel is the place to be and it certainly commands the very best views in the area – and I’d suggest that it has some of the finest views in the French Alps.

The view towards Meribel

The view towards Meribel

From there, you have two other ‘high mountain’ villages – Courchevel 1550 and Courchevel 1650, both of which have been completely re-named as Courchevel Village (1550) and Moriond (1650). Below this, you have La Praz (formally known as Courchevel 1300) which was my home for several days with the luxury chalet company, Alp Leisure Ltd, who have 5 chalets in the picturesque old village with its cosy bars and restaurants that include one with a Michelin Star. If you’re looking for high end luxury and service without the completely eye watering prices of Courchevel (1850) then it’s a great option. Jump on the gondola and you’re soon up in the main ski area and there’s a red run taking you down through the woods at the end of the day. You’re also right next to the ski jump and you might catch a glimpse of the jumpers launching off the 90 or 120 meter Olympic hills used during the 1992 Games in Albertville.

I skied with British instructor Les Ward for an afternoon who works for the Sweet Ski School based in Courchevel. Les has been teaching skiing in the Alps for over 30 years with a career that included a long stint with BASI (British Association of Snowsports Instructors) as a trainer, making him one of the most qualified and experienced ski instructors on the planet. It’s great just to be able to follow someone around who knows the resort so well and we covered lots of ground very quickly, with a few handy coaching tips thrown in along the way – it’s amazing how lazy you become and how a few well-placed pointers can make a big difference to your skiing quickly.

One thing Courchevel has a reputation for is the high quality grooming on its pistes and despite a lack of fresh snow, the runs were all in excellent shape and wide blues and reds dominate the area but with the option of steeper, more challenging terrain such as the famous Grand Couloir that starts at the top of Saluire and heads off narrowly through cliffs on each side before opening up further down. It gets heavily skied and can often become ‘moguled’ a couple of days after a snow fall. There’s lots of off-piste and ski touring possibilities in the 3 Valleys but at this early time of the winter and with a fairly thin base, we were restricted to staying on-piste on this occasion.

One thing that really strikes me in the 3 Valleys and especially the Courchevel sector, is the views. Look north and you have Western Europe’s highest mountain, Mt Blanc directly in view – look south and you can see La Meije, right down towards the La Grave region….that’s a big chunk of the French Alps. You also have a good mix of high-altitude, open terrain and lower wooded slopes, all the way down to La Praz at 1300 meters, meaning that on bad vis days, you can get away from the more exposed areas.

In one day I managed to ski a large chunk of the 3 Valleys, heading over to Val Thorens where national teams were preparing for a World Cup ski cross event and I caught up with British Number one skier cross racer Emily Sarsfield. Ski Cross is an incredible event and watching it close up gives you a far better impression of the speed and height the guys and girls get when they race down the twisty course – it’s nuts.

My Interview with Emily Sarsfield for InTheSnow Magazine

I was easily back in La Praz for lunch, well I say easily, I wasn’t hanging around, but it proves how efficient the lift system is when you get from one side of the world’s largest ski area to the other before lunchtime.

Off the slopes, the new Centre Aquatic was just about to open and although I couldn’t get into it, I’ve heard reports about how good it really is. On bad weather days or if you’re just not feeling like a ski, then this place offers a huge choice of water based activities.

Courchevel is certainly an all-round winter sports resort with a lot to offer every ability level and it’s a good place for non-skiers too. I didn’t get the over the top glitzy and glamorous feeling, but maybe because I was a little out of season and also staying in La Praz, which is very relaxed and like staying in a small, traditional village with the added bonus of bars and restaurants at every level.

Bedroom in Alp Leisure chalet

My bedroom in one of the Alp Leisure Ltd chalets

It’s never going to be the cheapest place for a ski holiday, but what Alp Leisure offer is a top of the range service with some amazing chalets and food to match Michelin starred dishes, without the seemingly absurd prices you’ll see for the same, if not less, up in the higher villages.

What we like about Courchevel

  • Hard to beat for sheer amount of terrain anywhere in the world
  • Suits every ability level, from complete beginner to expert
  • Great scenery
  • Alp Leisure’s chalets

What we didn’t like so much

  • Seems to lack on-mountain restaurants in general compared to some other major resorts and some of them are a little more expensive than you’d find in the smaller French ski areas
  • Architecture in some of the villages is still a little poor (but it is improving)

The Facts

Snow.Guide Ski Editor Rob Stewart stayed with Alp Leisure Ltd in Courchevel and Meribel – Alp Leisure Ltd specialise in luxury chalets that include all-inclusive or their unique ‘a la carte’ option where you can create your own menu’s and pay for all food and drink at cost price.